Starting in 2013 as a progressive grassroots social venture, Building Roots was initially founded in response to a lack of fresh food access and agricultural growing space across Toronto. We believe that inadequate food systems are a by-product of greater social issues within these communities. Without addressing the need to heal our roots, we cannot address poverty, social isolation & inadequate civil investment. Shifting our focus in response to these symptoms, and glaringly in response to COVID-19, we began to build resources for social cohesion and co-create targeted development of community tools alongside the community. Among a large list of “firsts” - we have been featured on CBC, CTV, Globe and Mail & the National post all to discuss our impact & how we created Canada’s first ever market operating out of a shipping container. Since 2013 this vision has led us to co-create innovative projects that provide fresh food access, meaningful engagement, and transform communities. In 2019 we launched a charity to expand this work, the Growing Neighbourhoods Foundation.
